Method for manufacturing plugged honeycomb structure and plug filling jig

Abstract

There is disclosed a method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure capable of manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure in which the plugging depth is uniform. A method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure, according to the invention, includes disposing a plug filling jig 6 so that it covers the side of the periphery of one end 7a of the honeycomb structure 3 at the side where plugged cells 4a are open and its tip locates being protruded from the end surface of the one end 7a, the end surface of the side of the one end 7a is separated from the surrounding space and the one end 7a of the honeycomb structure 3 where the plug filling jig 6 is disposed is pressed onto a ceramic slurry to thus introduce the ceramic slurry into the plugged cells 4a to form plugged portions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a plugged honeycomb structure manufactured by one embodiment of a method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view illustrating a process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cell in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the first invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction;

FIG. 3 is another explanatory view illustrating a process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cells in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the first invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction;

FIG. 4 is still another explanatory view illustrating a process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cells in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the first invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a plug filling jig used in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the first invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another example of a plug filling jig used in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the first invention;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view illustrating another exemplary process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cells in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the first invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view illustrating another exemplary process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cells in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the second invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction;

FIG. 9 is another explanatory view illustrating another exemplary process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cells in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the second invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction;

FIG. 10 is another explanatory view illustrating another exemplary process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cells in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the second invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a plug filling jig used in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the second invention;

FIG. 12 is another explanatory view illustrating another exemplary process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cells in one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure of the second invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction;

FIG. 13 is a graph showing plugging depths in the 85 cells on the diagonal line of the end surface in Example 1;

FIG. 14 is a graph showing plugging depths in the 85 cells on the diagonal line of the end surface in Comparative Example 1;

FIG. 15 is a graph showing plugging depths in the 70 cells on the diagonal line of the end surface in Example 2;

FIG. 16 is a graph showing plugging depths in the 70 cells on the diagonal line of the end surface in Example 3;

FIG. 17 is a graph showing plugging depths in the 70 cells on the diagonal line of the end surface in Comparative Example 2;

FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a conventional honeycomb filter; and

FIG. 19 is an explanatory view illustrating a process of introducing a ceramic slurry into plugged cells in the conventional method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure, and is a cross-sectional view of the honeycomb structure, taken parallel to the axial direction.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure comprising a cylindrical honeycomb structure including partition walls formed of a porous body and a large number of cells acting as fluid passageways divided and formed by said partition walls, and plugged portions plugging openings of some of said cells of said honeycomb structure, the method comprising the step of pressing one end of said honeycomb structure at the side where a plug filling jig is disposed onto a ceramic slurry to thus introduce said ceramic slurry into cells to be plugged (plugged cells) to form said plugged portions, wherein said plug filling jig is disposed by one of the steps selected from the step (A) and step (B) specified below:step (A)disposing said plug filling jig so that it covers the side of a periphery of said one end of said honeycomb structure at the side where plugged cells are open and a tip of said plug filling jig locates being protruded from an end surface of the side of said one end, to separate the end surface of the side of said one end from a surrounding space; andstep (B)disposing said plug filling jig so that it covers the side of a periphery of said one end of said honeycomb structure on the side where plugged cells are open and a tip of said plug filling jig locates at the same position as an end surface of said one end, to increase an outer diameter of a portion of said honeycomb structure increase at the side of said one end.

2. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 1, wherein said disposing said plug filling jig is carried by the step (A).

3. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 1, wherein a cylindrical body having elasticity is used as said plug filling jig and said plug filling jig is disposed at the side of said one end of said honeycomb structure by way of the elastic force of said plug filling jig.

4. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 1, wherein a belt-like body is used as said plug filling jig and said belt-like body is wound around said honeycomb structure at the side of said one end to arrange said plug filling jig at the side of said one end of said honeycomb structure.

5. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 1, wherein a material having rigidity so that a deformation in the radial direction of said honeycomb structure does not occur when it is pressed onto said ceramic slurry is used as said plug filling jig.

6. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 1, wherein said one end of said honeycomb structure is pressed onto the ceramic slurry while causing the tip of said plug filling jig to slide to the end surface of the side of said one end of said honeycomb structure.

7. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 1, wherein said disposing said plug filling jig is carried by the step (B).

8. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 7, wherein said plug filling jig is disposed at said one end to increase the outer diameter of a portion of said honeycomb structure at the side of said one end by a length equivalent to two thirds or more of the plugging depth of said slurry to be introduced into said plugged cells.

9. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 1, wherein said plug filling jig is disposed after a mask having holes capable of forming therein to communicate with said plugged cells is disposed.

10. The method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure according to claim 1, wherein an unfired honeycomb structure is used as said honeycomb structure, and said plugged honeycomb structure is obtained by filling said plugged cells with said ceramic slurry, and then drying and firing it.

11. A plug filling jig disposed at one end of a honeycomb structure at the side where plugged cells are open, and used to separate an end surface of the side of said one end of said honeycomb structure from a surrounding space and press said one end of said honeycomb structure onto a ceramic slurry to thus introduce said ceramic slurry into said plugged cells, said plug filling jig comprising: a cylindrical body having an inner diameter corresponding to a size of a periphery of said honeycomb structure having said plugged cells formed therein, wherein said plug filling jig can be mounted and fixed so as to separate the end surface of the side of said one end of said honeycomb structure from the surrounding space.

12. A plug filling jig disposed at one end of a honeycomb structure at the side where plugged cells are open, and used to separate an end surface of said one end of said honeycomb structure from a surrounding space and press said one end of said honeycomb structure onto a ceramic slurry to thus introduce said ceramic slurry into said plugged cells, said plug filling jig comprising: a belt-like body having a length greater than a length of a periphery of said honeycomb structure and wound around the periphery of said honeycomb structure to thus allow said plug filling jig to be mounted and fixed so as to separate the end surface of the side of said one end of said honeycomb structure from a surrounding space.

13. A plug filling jig disposed at one end of a honeycomb structure at the side where plugged cells are open, and used to increase an outer diameter of a portion of said honeycomb structure at the side of said one end and press said one end of said honeycomb structure onto a ceramic slurry to thus introduce said ceramic slurry into said plugged cells, said plug filling jig comprising: a cylindrical body having an inner diameter corresponding to a size of a periphery of said honeycomb structure having said cells to be plugged formed therein and a thickness capable of increasing an outer diameter of a portion of said honeycomb structure at the side of said one end, wherein said plug filling jig can be mounted and fixed on the side of said one end of said honeycomb structure.